Isaiæ 49
1 Audite, insulæ, et attendite, populi de longe: Dominus ab utero vocavit me; de ventre matris meæ recordatus est nominis mei.
Hearken, O isles, unto me; and listen, ye people, from afar: The Lord hath called me from my birth; from my mother's womb hath he made mention of my name.
2 Et posuit os meum quasi gladium acutum, in umbra manus suæ protexit me, et posuit me sicut sagittam electam: in pharetra sua abscondit me.
And he hath rendered my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hidden me: and he hath rendered me as a polished arrow; in his quiver hath he concealed me;
3 Et dixit mihi: Servus meus es tu Israël, quia in te gloriabor.
And said unto me, My servant art thou, O Israel, thou on whom I will be glorified.
4 Et ego dixi: In vacuum laboravi; sine causa et vane fortitudinem meam consumpsi: ergo judicium meum cum Domino, et opus meum cum Deo meo.
But I had indeed said, For no purpose have I labored, for naught and vanity have I spent my strength; yet surely my cause is with the Lord, and the recompense of my work with my God.
5 Et nunc dicit Dominus, formans me ex utero servum sibi, ut reducam Jacob ad eum, et Israël non congregabitur; et glorificatus sum in oculis Domini, et Deus meus factus est fortitudo mea.
And now hath said the Lord that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, that Israel may be gathered unto him, that I should be honored in the eyes of the Lord, while my God was my strength, —
6 Et dixit: Parum est ut sis mihi servus ad suscitandas tribus Jacob, et fæces Israël convertendas: ecce dedi te in lucem gentium, ut sis salus mea usque ad extremum terræ.
And he said, It is too light a thing that thou shouldst be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to bring back the preserved of Israel! but I will [also] appoint thee for a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach as far as the end of the earth.
7 Hæc dicit Dominus, redemptor Israël, Sanctus ejus, ad contemptibilem animam, ad abominatam gentem, ad servum dominorum: Reges videbunt, et consurgent principes, et adorabunt propter Dominum, quia fidelis est, et Sanctum Israël qui elegit te.
Thus hath said the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, his Holy One, to him who is despised by men, to him who is abhorred by nations, to the servant of rulers, Kings shall see it and rise up, princes, and they shall prostrate themselves, for the sake of the Lord, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who hath made choice of thee.
8 Hæc dicit Dominus: In tempore placito exaudivi te, et in die salutis auxiliatus sum tui: et servavi te, et dedi te in fœdus populi, ut suscitares terram, et possideres hæreditates dissipatas;
Thus hath said the Lord, In the time of favor have I answered thee, and on the day of salvation have I helped thee; and I will preserve thee, and I will appoint thee as a people of my covenant to raise up the land, to divide out desolate heritages;
9 ut diceres his qui vincti sunt: Exite, et his qui in tenebris: Revelamini. Super vias pascentur, et in omnibus planis pascua eorum.
When I say to the prisoners, Go forth; to those that are in darkness, Show yourselves. On the roads shall they feed, and on all mountain-peaks shall be their pasture.
10 Non esurient neque sitient, et non percutiet eos æstus et sol, quia miserator eorum reget eos, et ad fontes aquarum potabit eos.
They shall not be hungry nor thirsty, and neither heat nor sun shall smite them; for he that hath mercy on them will lead them, and by springs of water will he guide them.
11 Et ponam omnes montes meos in viam, et semitæ meæ exaltabuntur.
And I will change all my mountains into a road, and my highways shall be lifted up.
12 Ecce isti de longe venient, et ecce illi ab aquilone et mari, et isti de terra australi.
Behold, these shall come from afar; and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim.
13 Laudate, cæli, et exsulta, terra; jubilate, montes, laudem, quia consolatus est Dominus populum suum, et pauperum suorum miserebitur.
Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth, O mountains, into song; for the Lord hath comforted his people, and upon his oppressed will he have mercy.
14 Et dixit Sion: Dereliquit me Dominus, et Dominus oblitus est mei.
Yet Zion said, the Eternal hath forsaken me, and the Lord hath forgotten me.
15 Numquid oblivisci potest mulier infantem suum, ut non misereatur filio uteri sui? Etsi illa oblita fuerit, ego tamen non obliviscar tui.
Can a woman forget her sucking child, not to have mercy on the son of her body? yea, should these even forget, yet would I not forget thee.
16 Ecce in manibus meis descripsi te; muri tui coram oculis meis semper.
Behold, upon the palms of my hands have I engraved thee; thy walls are continually before me.
17 Venerunt structores tui; destruentes te et dissipantes a te exibunt.
Thy children come in haste; thy destroyers and they that laid thee waste shall go away from thee.
18 Leva in circuitu oculos tuos, et vide: omnes isti congregati sunt, venerunt tibi. Vivo ego, dicit Dominus, quia omnibus his velut ornamento vestieris, et circumdabis tibi eos quasi sponsa;
Lift up thy eyes round about, and see; they all are assembled together, they come to thee: as I live, saith the Lord, thou shalt surely clothe thyself with them all, as with an ornament, and bind them on thee, as a bride.
19 quia deserta tua, et solitudines tuæ, et terra ruinæ tuæ, nunc angusta erunt præ habitatoribus; et longe fugabuntur qui absorbebant te.
For thy ruins and thy desolate places, and thy wasted land, —yea, now shall it be too narrow for thee by reason of the inhabitants, and thy destroyers shall be far away.
20 Adhuc dicent in auribus tuis filii sterilitatis tuæ: Angustus est mihi locus; fac spatium mihi ut habitem.
Yet again will say before thy ears the children of whom thou wast deprived, The place is too narrow for me; make room for me that I may dwell.
21 Et dices in corde tuo: Quis genuit mihi istos? ego sterilis et non pariens, transmigrata, et captiva; et istos quis enutrivit? ego destituta et sola; et isti ubi erant?
And thou wilt say in thy heart, Who hath born me these, seeing I was bereft of my children, and was solitary, an exile, and outcast? and who hath brought up these? Behold, I was left entirely alone; these, where have they been?
22 Hæc dicit Dominus Deus: Ecce levabo ad gentes manum meam, et ad populos exaltabo signum meum: et afferent filios tuos in ulnis, et filias tuas super humeros portabunt.
Thus hath said the Lord Eternal, Behold, I will lift up to the nations my hand, and to the people will I raise up high my standard; and they shall bring thy sons in [their] arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon shoulders.
23 Et erunt reges nutritii tui, et reginæ nutrices tuæ; vultu in terram demisso adorabunt te, et pulverem pedum tuorum lingent. Et scies quia ego Dominus, super quo non confundentur qui exspectant eum.
And kings shall be thy nursing-fathers, and their princesses thy nursing-mothers; with the face toward the earth shall they bow down to thee, and the dust of thy feet shall they lick up: and thou shalt know that I am the Lord, who will not suffer those who hope in me to be ashamed.
24 Numquid tolletur a forti præda? aut quod captum fuerit a robusto, salvum esse poterit?
Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or shall the captive of the victor escape?
25 Quia hæc dicit Dominus: Equidem, et captivitas a forti tolletur, et quod ablatum fuerit a robusto, salvabitur. Eos vero qui judicaverunt te, ego judicabo, et filios tuos ego salvabo.
For thus hath said the Lord, Also the captive of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the powerful shall escape; and with those who contend against thee will I contend, and thy children will I indeed save.
26 Et cibabo hostes tuos carnibus suis, et quasi musto, sanguine suo inebriabuntur, et sciet omnis caro quia ego Dominus salvans te, et redemptor tuus fortis Jacob.
And I will feed thy oppressors with their own flesh; and as with new wine shall they be made drunken with their own blood: and all flesh shall know that I the Eternal am thy Saviour, and thy Redeemer the Mighty One of Jacob.
